Fontina - Gourmet Guide

Fontina Cheese is an unpasteurized cows milk cheese from the Aosta region of Italy. While authentic Fontina comes from Aosta, numerous cheeses from around the world use the Fontina name, although almost all of these imposters taste nothing like real Fontina.

Fontina is a firm yet creamy cheese, aged for up to three months, laced with small holes throughout. Fontina is a great melting cheese, as its flavor withstands heating. It is a famed ingredient in Fonduta and Risotto. Creamy and nutty, Fontina is very aromatic and an excellent table cheese, especially when served with an Alpine white wine like Viognier.

Fontina originated in the Aosta Valley of Northern Italy in the 1200s. Fontina Cheese made in the Aosta valley is filled with minerals and botanical flavorings from the local Alpine terrain. Fontina Cheese was one of the first cheeses to be given DOP (protected designation of origin) status by the European Union, which requires that Fontina Val d'Aosta be produced with the milk from the cows from the Aosta Valley. Cheeses called Fontina are also produced in other countries, such as France, Denmark, Sweden and the U.S. Danish Fontina is notably coated in a red wax, aged less than Italian Fontina, and characteristically has a milder and softer flavor than the original Fontina. Other cheese varieties derived from Fontina are "Fontinella", "Fontella" and “Fontal”. When searching for Fontina Cheese online, look no further than igourmet.com.